Despite San Andreas being given fresh life in 2013’s Grand Theft Auto 5, many fans still prefer the original depiction of the location, as seen in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. With each new entry into the franchise, Grand Theft Auto attempts to outdo itself, learn from its past with greater features, and further immerse the player in the graphical capabilities of their games.
Even with this in mind, Rockstar Games still has some players that prefer things about their older titles, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is one of those titles that still has a cult-like following for the many features that it does right, and somewhat better than the future installments.
8 Three Cities
Unlike other Grand Theft Auto titles, San Andreas features three cities. These cities are brimming with uniqueness and their personalities. There are the fully-realized cities of Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas. All locations have similarities and inspirations from real-life locations in America and feature spoofed popular landmarks from the locations.
Los Santos is an audacious city, directly inspired by Los Angeles. The cities are almost identical, with many fans visiting Los Angeles and taking photos to compare the details from the games. San Fierro is psychedelic, and features the iconic Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, called the Gant Bridge in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Lastly, there’s Las Venturas which means “The Fortunes” in Spanish. It’s a direct look at the dry, and gambling culture of Las Vegas.
7 A Gritty, Gangland Saga
When it comes to a fictional story, audiences want to be engaged in a great premise and fun characters. Luckily for fans of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, they are given just that. The cast is incredibly fun and talented, and the humor is in top form in this Rockstar title. Characters like Big Smoke are memorable for the gruff of their voice and their desire for an abundance of fast food.
The story follows Carl “CJ” Johnson, returning from home after the murder of his mother. CJ is drawn back into the dangerous life of crime thanks to his friends and the former gang. The game has CJ encounter betrayals, action, and a fight to control the streets that he knew in the state of San Andreas.
6 Samuel L. Jackson
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas features the iconic A-list actor, Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson is well known for his roles in Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as both Jedi Master Mace Windu and Nick Fury, respectively. His list of acting credits is enormous, and his charm fits perfectly into the world of Grand Theft Auto.
Samuel L. Jackson voices the Los Santos Police Department officer, and C.R.A.S.H. member, Frank Tenpenny. Tenpenny is a central character, and the main antagonist in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Tenpenny is corrupt and heartless, and Jackson’s talents shine with how sadistic and manipulative he performs as Tenpenny.
5 Weight Watcher
Statistics have been a feature in many Grand Theft Auto titles, and even in Red Dead Redemption 2. Yet, none are as visually drastic as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The protagonist, CJ, can develop fat or muscle depending on the actions of the player. Muscle helps influence the amount of damage CJ deals in melee combat, whereas Fat will decrease running capabilities, health, and speed.
If players spend all their time eating food and not exercising, CJ will be noticeably bigger, to the point where even some characters will mention it. By having CJ work out at the gym, he will become more muscular, and unlock the best potential of the character, with both his stats and athletic abilities. Being muscular in the game also assists CJ’s sex appeal, which is a feature that has women react to CJ based on his health, style, and vehicle.
4 Swimming
Unlike other Rockstar Games titles, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the first game in the franchise in which the player could swim. Players can float in the water, without a dramatic decrease in their health that will have them dead rather quickly. They can also swim in deep bodies of water and perform a front crawl to swim faster.
Swimming is a great feature for open-world games, as it does not limit the player’s exploration. It also opens up room for them to play around in the sandbox of an open-world game, and crash vehicles into the water knowing they will be okay, instead of just drowning, or dying instantly like John Marston in Red Dead Redemption.
3 Jetpacks
The franchise is no stranger to goofing off occasionally. GTA: Online recently featured vehicles like a flying DeLorean and a Batmobile, so it’s no surprise that 2004 saw the magical Jetpack come to play.
Players can obtain a jetpack in Grand theft Auto: San Andreas at the Verdant Meadows Airfield after the completion of Green Goo. They can also utilize a cheat code to obtain the special vehicle, and enjoy flying around the three cities and causing havoc, or simply just exploring the fun easter eggs in high places.
2 Customizable Vehicles
The vehicle customization and repair shop feature in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is incredibly detailed for a game in 2004. Players can take almost any car in the game, and alter both appearances in color and design. It’s a fun feature that has been included in most Grand Theft Auto titles ever since.
Whereas the future of Grand Theft Auto has players changing everything from the car horn to the wheels in Grand Theft Auto 5, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas features a simpler time, in which things like the hood, nitrous of a car, and color could be altered to suit the tastes and needs of the player.
1 The Freedom Of Play
With the accessibility of swimming, jetpacks, an abundance of vehicles, weapons, and three cities at the players’ disposal, there is nothing to stop the freedom and immersion of their experience in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
There are plenty of side activities for the player to do. These can be as simple as vandalizing walls with the Grove Street green logo or collecting items scattered around the map. If this does not pique the interest of the player, then the sweet arsenal of weaponry and mayhem might.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.